Spirit Guardian
by D'Fused
Summary: Balance exists in all things. Life & death, good & evil, male & female, all have an opposite to keep things in harmony. Everything runs on the Universal Gear and Jagged Wheel, and whenever either has too much control, the other must act accordingly.
1. Prolouge In the relative Beginning

Spirit Guardian  
  
by D'Fused  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 chracters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. Any resemblence to other characters or stories, unless specified, are unintentional. So be it.  
  
Prolouge  
In the Relative Beginning...  
  
Somewhere in North America...  
  
Meetings can almost be thought of as the soul of any company, business, fanclub, or cult. Oh, you can have people say its the employees or members who make up whatever group they are classified under, or that its the product or interest or idea that is the similar bond they share between them. But, since people, as a group, and harmony are never in co-existence, there will always be a need for discussion of the views, goals, problems and consequential actions for any type of group. Henceforth, there will be the need of the meeting.  
Even if it is a small meeting between two people, the consequences could make an enourmous change in people's lives. Ideals that were meant to be honorable might change into despictable practices. People might be offered membership, promoted, elected, helped, warned, accused, demoted, or dismissed, among other possibilities.   
The particular meeting in question of this story is, like some meetings, verging on one subject. It is namely something that has the attention of certain people, ones that rank high enough or have some interest or need to attend this meeting, which only makes sense. Admittedly, another subject is also in question, although many don't speak of it directly. It is visible, if one knows where to look, from the occasional frown or coldness of voice to the directly asked questions with implied ramifications behind such questions.  
This function of the group was set in a room which seemed almost designed to scream importance. Everything from the red rug that covered all but the edges of the hardwood floor to the elogent carving of the wooden framed door with matching table and chairs said that this room would say extravagence and grandiose, if it could have fit more than a few dozen people at one time. No, this place gave the feeling of intimacy and privacy which made everything seem more important.  
For the half-dozen people who currently occupied the room, thoughts of importance did run through their minds, although none thought much of the room itself. Instead, most had their concentration on the paper in front of them. Three weren't reading the report; the man sitting on the end of the right side of the semi-circle table, who was nervously watching his superiors and equals read and re-read the information on important-looking documents. He had a right to be nervous, for he had an idea that he might be in trouble, no matter what he said during the meeting.  
The second man was standing halway between the doors and table, waiting for everyone else to read the information. He wasn't given any important documents to read; he had been summoned to this meeting for a specific reason, one which would come clear in time. He stood passively while he aited, paying attention and silently biding his time.  
The last man sat in the middle of the table, sitting in a chair that was only a little larger than the others (any meeting had to have a superior, and even the most humble of superiors had a need for a symbol to show as much). He wasn't reading the document either, for he knew the information already. Finally, after all had a reasonable time to look over the documents, the man asked the question on most people minds.  
  
"Tell me, has this been an occurance for a while?"  
  
The one man sitting at the far right end of the semi-circle sweated at the scrutiny he was recieving as all those in attendace turned towards him. It was his position, both to know these facts and to be responsible for letting others know about these stated facts. He also knew that he shouldn't have kept such hidden, since it was found out eventually. The man made a brave face like he was about to put his hand into the fire and faced the one man.  
  
"Yes, sir. We have recieved a...resonance...from a certain location. Its unusual since everytime it happens, we do try to locate it and pinpoint the source. We can usually get a strong mark on it, and locate it to a point, but when we are about to find more than a general locaton, or are about to confirm that its genuine, the source disappears."  
  
"How long has this been going on?"  
  
The man shivered. The undertone of the question left no mistakes; everyone present were not impressed by his actions. He knew he deserved it, but still...  
  
"For about two weeks, sir. We just assumed that it was a problem with the mainframe or a ghost reading. Obviously it's the real thing."  
  
The man sitting at the nominal head of the table nodded. To say he was upset was an understatement. Enraged barely came close to his true feelings of the matter. After all this time, he had thought most people would know better than to keep information from him, of all people. They knew it was pointless, as if keeping it secret meant no one would notice it.  
But the subject of his enragement was not the issue at hand, it was what he had hidden that they had hurridely gathered. Another question on a small list he had in front came up from the far left side before he could ask it.  
  
"And is there any reason why we can't lock onto the resonance long enough to locate it?"  
  
"Not on our end, there isn't. We have had three different people check the parameters of the monitor and radar, as well as had beacons set to test the scanning equipment. Other than that, it would be a normal case."  
  
"In other words, you're saying that we have a potential candidate on the monitor, provided that we can actually sense him?"  
  
"Yes, sir. I honestly don't know why we can't track him, but whenever we can, he would be classed as such."  
  
"And what does our operative have to say? There should be someone there already, if not nearby."  
  
This question came from the only person in attendance standing, whose interest in the meeting had gone from purely bored to full attention. Something of such importance as a disappearring candidate should have been looked into immediately, not ignored for as long as it had been.  
  
"Nothing, since we currently have no operative there. The one set there up for the last ten years was lost to us recently, about a month or so ago, and the replacement sent there are still recovering from their encounter. The next nearest operative is almost two or three hundred kilometers away, and a report from them says they can't tell anything from that distance. We can't afford to move either person, so it makes it impossible to check the problem."  
  
"Well, that would make it hard, now would it?"  
  
The man who had the task of making the report winced as he heard the irritation underlying the comment. Before, he thought there might have been a saving grace somehow, but the last comment had effectively sealed everything. Not many would sympathise with his situation, including those who weren't directly involved.  
While the man which bad luck of his own doing spiraled downward in misery, the man summoned in front of all in admittance, now knowing the situation, steeled himself for his next question.  
  
"So what has this to do with me?"  
  
The man sitting at the middle turned and eyed the summoned man appreciately. He well knew what he would be doing; he was asking for confirmation.  
  
"I am sending you to the source of the problem. You are to confirm if it is a potential guardian. If so, I want you to stay there and guide him through training and teach him about his...special abilities. Also, if you can, try to discern who the spirit ward is, as well as find out why he can disappear from our monitors and radar. A handy trick like that could be beneficial for him, and knowing how to do it can give him an edge. I don't have to say to be careful. This might be a decoy, and we can't afford to lose anyone. If its something we haven't encountered yet, let us know and we'll send assistance. Finally, if this is a decoy, eradicate the problem. We don't want to worry if all we are recieveing is an anomaly."  
  
The standing man nodded his proverbial assent, since he didn't really get a choice in the matter. In the back of his mind, feelings that had been silent finally made their presence known as he felt anger directed towards the men sitting down. He tried his best not to show it, absorbing the orders he was recieving calmly, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"This is to be a low-key mission. You can use force only as permitted in defense, unless the situation calls for anything but discretion. An explanation for you to be in the area will be provided for you and certain belongings. Try not to make too much rukus in the area, since there won't be much, if any, support that will be available.  
  
The guy took it all in with no comment on the situation, with the exception of a small wince at one point near the end. Nothing unusual about this mission, except...  
  
"What if I find the spirit ward? Should I..."  
  
"No. I understand the reasoning behind the idea, but I want her to stay until we have confirmation. If this is an attempt to pull a spirit ward and guardian out to kill or lure them, then we want to minimize the chances that they have. Not that we think you are expedable, but you are the best guardian we have right now who can fight without a ward for help. No, this is to be a solo operation for the time being."  
  
The man straightened at that comment, wincing again as the anger he felt swelled in the back of his mind again. He knew he wasn't going to like her response to this order, but what could he do about it?.   
  
"Anything else I should know?"  
  
The leader of the group turned and frowned to the nervous man sitting on the end, who had been oblivious of the orders. All turned to look in his direction as the person came out of his self-depeciating train of thoughts and became the center of attention again.  
  
"Anything else he should know?"  
  
The frightened man sweated as he looked through the papers in front of him. Menatlly kicking himself for not paying attention, he shuffled through the reports, pulling one paper out and quickly checking the information before replying.  
  
"The target seemes to be able to use his abilities to some extent. Sometimes we will sense the resonance getting stronger, as it usually does with other potentials when they tap into their abilities. We sometimes lose the target for a bit, but when he comes back, he sometimes reappears quite stronger or has returned to his normal ratng. That and the sporadic behavior of him disappearing from our monitors tells us that he either has no knowedge of what he is doing, or has no control or limited control on what causes him to disappear and reappear like that. We can't pinpoint where he lives down to the address, not without pooling more sources than we can afford to, but we know enough to give the general location of the resonance."  
  
"And this place would be?"  
  
"Tokyo, Japan. More specifically, a region named Nerima..."  
  
----------  
  
I wrote this after reading Dark Pheonix's story of Ranma being a Knight of the Word. I have no intentions to base my story on either the Brooks storyline or the fanfic, although I might borrow ideas from those sources in the near future. Its mainly as undefined as I could possibly make it, since I want to explain everything I can in the chapters ahead, yet leave enough to ask questions about. More when I get time.  
  
Revison Notes - Looking back at this chapter, I knew exactly what revisions I wanted to make. Most of the dialouge was sufficient, although a few lines were changed because they wouldn't make sense to the storyline now. I mainly saw that the character's actions and the room itself were barely defined. The only thing I had intention to keep undefined was the storyline itself, not everything else, so I made those changes.  
  
I also saw the need to write a better opening. This and the next chapter had more a sense of 'publish or perish' to them, while the third chapter started with an actual sense of style to begin with, one that I centered on throughout, then, liking the results, planned to use in revisions. This is how I want my story to look like, and will be spending more time on the style than I had before.  
Suggestions are welcome.  
  
blue_scarf_fics@yahoo.com 


	2. Its a Normal Day in the Neighborhood

Spirit Guardian  
  
By D'Fused  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 chracters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. Any resemblence to other characters or stories, unless specified, are unintentional. So be it.  
  
Chapter 2  
Its a Normal Day in the Neighborhood  
  
The morning was the normal type the people of Nerima expected. The sun coming up in the east, with blue skies and white clouds. Most people were getting ready for another day. Housewives making lunches while children went through their morning routines to get ready for school, as did their fathers for the workday. Those who could opened their shops in preparation of business, hoping against hope that trouble would not come their way today. Repair crews and construction companies were busy as usual, trying to make some progress in their long orders of repairs. Soon, many left for work, taking the quickest and safest routes to work which, for some, meant a large detour around certain areas. As the day became older, students started walking thei way towards the various learning facilities, some sooner than others. Some went through their morning routines before making their way to school, some so routine, people would set clocks to it.   
  
As it happened, one of those clock-setting routines revolved around the Tendo Dojo. Several houses and businesses within yelling-distance of the place had their clocks synchronized with an event that happened every school day. Except for those times the faily was away, or recovering from some major event, or any other earth-shaking normal occurance around the area. But, on what could be called normally normal days, one event would - always - happen in the morning. At 8:20 in the morning, pretty much on the dot for several houses, a voice would ring out from the house with a peculiar call.  
  
-----------------------  
  
"Ranma, we're going to be late!"  
  
A figure took off from the front gate of the dojo, running along the street toward Furikan High School. Immediately following the first figure was a second figure, taller than the first, still chewing on a piece of breakfast.  
  
"Akane, wait up, will y'a?"  
  
The first figure looked back as she ran ahead, frowning at her fiancee as he came out trying to eat his food while putting his backpack on. Giving him a huff, she looked ahead and took off without him, deciding he can be late instead of waiting for him.  
  
Ranma was still trying to do three things at once, namely running, eating and thinking of telling Akane how uncute a tomboy she was. He had ran out the front door and around the corner before he realised he forgot his lunch. Grimacing, he turned and jumped over the wall back into the yard. As he landed, he saw the eldest Tendo daughter smiling in front of him as she held out the lunch.  
  
"Here you go, Ranma. You almost forgot this," Kasumi said, holding out the bento for him.  
  
"Thanks Kasumi."  
  
Kasumi watched as Ranma took the box from her and jumped back onto and over the wall before going to class. She smiled as she returned to the kitchen, thinking on how polite Ranma always was to her.  
  
"Oh Ranma..."  
  
Ranma took the box and jumped over the wall again, then started running toward the school, deciding to forgo running on the fence since he needed to get to school in a hurry. As he got closer to the school, he could hear the first class bell start to ring. Shifting into high gear, Ranma took the next corner at top speed, jumped and rolled as the gates to the school started to close. Without breaking momentum, Ranma got to his feet and started running up the walkway.   
  
In front, Tatewaki Kuno waited for his hateful rival for Akane's attention as he did many mornings. As the pig-tailed student regained his feet, Kuno swept his bokken in an arc towards his opponent.  
  
"The revenge of heaven shall be felt today, my accursed adversary. Prepare yourself! I. Tatewaki Kuno, shall smite you with my blade."  
  
Ranma's only response was a kick to the kendoist's head, which stopped Kuno promptly. "Sorry, Kuno. Not now. I'm going to be late."  
  
In his typical fashion, Ranma brought his foot down and jumped onto his oppenent's head, using the momentum to spring-board onto the second-story balcony. Sparing a second to change trajectory, Ranma jumped a second time up to his classroom, landing smoothly inside, narrowing beating the bell as everyone started to sit down. While everyone was impressed by his sense of timing, they didn't think it anything unusual since they had witnessed odder things in the mornings.  
  
"Why did you leave me back at home Akane?" Ranma asked as he took his seat beside her.  
  
"You jerk, I would've been late if I had waited for you," she resonded.  
  
"Well, excuse me, but you could have gotten me up on time."  
  
"And who's fault is that?"  
  
Both glared at each other from their desks, ignoring the teacher to the point where he threw his piece of chalk at Ranma. Ranma's head recoiled back at it contacted, making him and his fiannce look forward.  
  
"Both of you, into the hallway," the teacher informed the students now paying attention.  
  
The two students got up and obediantly moved outside the class, grabbing pails out of the supply closet and filling them up with water   
before standing outside the classroom. Each glared at the other as they stood beside each other, turning away and silently blaming each other for being out there. Neither said anything for a few minutes until Ranma muttered something under his breath. Akane turned to her prospective husband, wanting to be sure she heard right.  
  
"What did you just say?" the short-haired Tendo asked.  
  
"I said 'Uncute tomboy'."  
  
Ranma should have expected her not to take a remark like that lightly. Akane's response to his comment was the fourth option on the 'Ranma Response Counter' to choose from, since it was handy at the moment: Instant-Female, just add water.  
  
Ranma soggedly walked down the hallways, trying to silently make her way to the bathroom and change back without anyone seeing her.  
  
--------------------  
  
At lunch, Akane chose to sit with Yuki and Sakuri, doing her best to ignore Ranma. On his part, he ignored her as well, sitting across the room with his friends as they gave the martial artist the third degree. Hiroshi looked at his friend in amusement.  
  
"How do you two do it almost everyday?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," Daisuke said as he looked sideways towards the girls. "You two go at each throats almost daily it seems, and neither seem to tire of it."  
  
"Aw, its none of yor business," Ranma replied. "I don't plan to let her do this to me all the time."  
  
His two friends looked at each other in amazement. Thir friend, one of the most powerful martial artist they have ever known, was weird in some ways, both thought alomst simutaneously. Neither thought to mention how he and Akane almost never agreed on anything, and the relationship the two had were more along lines of full-scale war, with one side taking all the damage. And yet he planned to stop this one day.  
  
"Uh, Ranma?" said Hiroshi.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" finished Daisuke.  
  
Ranma looked up at the two, finishing off the remainder of Kasumi's lunch. "Huh?"  
  
"You just said you plan to stop her from hitting you..."  
  
"...but you refuse to hit girls, so how...?"  
  
Ranma blinked a few times before realising what he had said. "Well...I...that is...me and Akane..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We're listening, Ranma."  
  
"Well...I just thought...that..." Ranma began.  
  
"That you would...what?" Daisuke asked.  
  
Finally Ranma had enough. He got to his feet, angry that his two friends would prod him for answers. "Jeez, would you leave it alone? I have no intentions of being with a macho chick like her..."  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"  
  
Ranma cringed and slowly turned around to the vision of a flickering blue aura surrounding a certain fiancee across the room from him and getting closer. Akane was stalking towards him, murder clearly written across her face, and Ranma knew he was in trouble.  
  
"Akane, please, let me explain..."  
  
"You..." Akane muttered as she stepped closer. "You..." As Ranma backed up to the window, Akane started to move her fist back, choosing Option #2 in her 'Ranma Response Counter' list.  
  
"You insensitive JERK!"  
  
Daisuke and Hiroshi watched as Ranma became on the recieving end of the Low Orbit Punch Akane had the patent to. Both boys sighed as they watched Ranma create a new skylight as he became a blur in the sky.  
  
"...Don't plan to do this all the time, he says..."  
  
"... Not any time soon, I think..."  
  
--------------------  
  
Ranma tracked his bearing and speed, knowing the basic area that he would be landing as he started to fall from his afternoon flight. He saw that the landing site would be near the Tendo dojo as he fell back towards the ground. In fact, he thought, it would drop him just inside the walls, verging near the pond. As he came closer to the ground, Ranma realised that, with his luck, most likely he would...  
  
*SPLASH!*  
  
A wet female Ranma slowly made her way out of the pond, shaking as much water as she could of her body before stepping inside. The last thing she wanted to do was get the house wet, especially since Kasumi probably spent the morning cleaning the house. She ran her hands down her hair, straining the water as best she could before doing the same with her Chinese shirt. After doing the best she could, she turned towards the house, to see Kasumi standing just outside the house, towel in her hand.  
  
"Oh my," Kasumi said, handing the towel to the wet teen, "Did you get into trouble at school, Ranma?"  
  
"Nah, just sent home early."  
  
Kasumi smiled, understanding almost immediately the cause of the trip she just had. She waited for Ranma to finish drying herself as best as possible, then turning back to the kitchen, said "Don't worry about school, Ranma. Everyone will be returning pretty soon, so you can go have a bath before supper."  
  
"Thanks Kasumi."  
  
-----------------------  
  
Ranma watched as she went back into the house, carryingf the wet towel with her. She has always been so kind to me, she thought, entering the house, grabbing dry clothing before opening the bathroom doors.   
  
After stripping off her wet clothes and splashing a pail of cold water over herself, she entered the furo, intent on relaxing. Thoughts of what to do about a certain troublesome fiancee (alright they are all troubling, but you can only say uncute tomboy so many times) were soon replaced by a calming sense, one could almost call serene, of good will, affection and endless devotion. As these emotions slowly wrapped around the body soaking in the water, something seemed to rest inside, a wall or a barrier of sorts that had refused to yield until this moment.   
  
Gently smiling while closing his eyes, Ranma slowly started to settle more comfortable into the water, trying to grasp what he was feeling in his mind. Within the vison of his closed eyes, he searched for this change that occurred within, a difference in his person between this and the last moment. Slowly, a small light appeared, infitestimal in the sea of black yet undeniable in its existance. As Ranma concentrated on this light, it quivered, not moving from its position, but changing, rotating at a high speed and growing, only minisculy compared to the black around it. Something that seemed distant, but was coming closer. Something that was right, he mentally thought, which only seemed to enfuel the light to quiver and rotate faster as it came...  
  
Ranma's eyes opened with a sudden quickness as he heard his name yelled out from beyond the bathroom doors. Gone were the serene feelings, as did the light when Ranma closed his eyes and tried to find whatever it was that he had seen while relaxed. Gone also was most of the heat in the water, which meant he had to get out soon, or else he had taken a bath for nothing. Sighing, he moved to get out and put on clothes before anything else happened.  
  
---------------------  
  
A plane at the Tokyo International Airport smoothly touched down on the runway, coming to a stop before moving towards the disembarkment area. After all was checked to be safe, the hatch opened, allowing the attendants to send passengers out into the walkway and into the airport.   
  
As were usual of any flight, the passengers could be split into two groups: residents and foreigners. Residents were mostly of Japanese bearing, be them businessmen, families on vacation, or students who were learning at education facilities outside their homeland. Not many distinctions could be made between these passengers and other countrymen, if one discluded that they had gone away from home and have returned, if for the moment.  
  
The foreigners were more distinct in the crowd, since they were foriegners, of course. They ranged from caucasions, pale compared to the darker tinges of those who can claim African or Indian backgrounds, although not many of either dotted the crowd at the moment. Each of these foreigners seemed to stand out as they moved, to be admired from afar or to cautious about, depending on the person. Everyone seemed to have something that was truly unique about them, from the Irish red hair one vacationing family sported, to the tall businessman by himself, walking quickly towards the exit, to the one man wearing the odd-shaped hat, walking slower than most, but made up the lack of speed with a set direction and determination on his face. And, like a kid easily distracted by another interesting toy, the foreigners were vaguely remembered as a new one entered the line of sight, another marvel to gaze at.  
  
Some of those exiting the plane were not much better. For some, the exciting wonder at being outside one's country and out into unmarked territory tended to make many act like a child in front of the candy store. Many stared at strange people and at strange items and watched strange customs which made no sense to them, yet was a part of everyday life here. Those who had visited before acted a little more sensible, ranging from only gawking occasionally to ignoring all and moving purposely.  
  
But, like all passengers the world over, there was a purpose behind their flight, be it pleasure or business. Soon, after the few who were waiting for another flight filtered out of the crowd, the main body started making their way in a steady stream out into the customs area, picking up their luggage along the way. Moving toward the respective arrival and return lines, everyone waited patiently as the custom workers checked the personal belongings and asking a few questions before moving on to the next person.   
  
Among those passengers in the arrival line, one certain man looked around at the airport, watching the crowded walkways and seats of businessmen and families on vacation. Despite the crowds and noise, he could still pick out those who were interested in him. His knowledge of the Japanese language was only mildly accented, which allowed him to listen to conversations many thought he wouldn't understand completely. He smiled back at one girl he judged at about twenty-five or so when she shyly smiled at him, then winked at her, which produced a small blush on her face. He watched her move away from him, turning forward and moving with the flow of the line, adjusting his fedora. He was told it gave him less of a cocky and devil-may-care look to him, and that was one less thing he would want to impress the custom agents with.  
  
A feeling of vanity came from his senses in the back of his mind, followed by a mixture of resentment and anger. He mentally sighed, wishing that he didn't have to feel those emotions for the last couple days. It had been bad that he had felt those feelings between the meeting and when he left, but they had remained there through the long flight across the Pacific, making a tedious and very boring journey worse. He knew why he had to go alone, since it had been explained to him during the meeting. Worse was she knew that as well, and she had insisted that she should go. It took a few hours of discussion before she conceded the reasoning behind the decision, but she put the blame solely on him, since she couldn't argue with who gave the orders. And that she could make him suffer in private as well.  
  
A mischievious smile came to his lips as he made an image partly appear in his mind, but quickly covered it before it had formed enough to be comprehensible. The emotions of anger and resentment started to include curiosity as he mentally kept away from thinking of the image he had, wanting to build the suspense before uncovering it. Slowly, curiosity became dominant of the emotions, slowly choking everything else out until the one emotion remained. Finally, he let the image show, one of him sitting on a chair with a certain girl over his lap. He replaced the picture with one of him spanking the girl's butt, changing it with the first image and repeating the two images for a couple seconds.  
  
The response was predictable. Suprise, then apprehension at the thought, then determination. Obviously that last was a dare to see him actually try such a thing. After a few seconds, frustration turning slowly to understandment and apologetic.  
  
Apology accepted, he thought. He sent the image of him shrugging off something, then with him smiling to get the message across. The returning emotions was still apolegetic, quickly turning back to resentment and anger, but not as strong as before.   
  
He understood why she would be feeling those emotions. He held the image of a woman slightly smaller than himself, with short brown hair and blue eyes, imposed over a rough picture of Japan. The response was agreement, and acceptance that neither had anything to do with it.  
  
"Um excuse me, sir..." a man said in Japanese.  
  
The man focused back to the person in front of him, blinking his eyes as he realised he was next in line. Quickly he sent the image on him at the front of a line of people as he moved forward, hauling his stuff with him. No response answered, letting him concentrate on the matter at hand.  
  
May I see your passport the customs worker asked in English, making sure the passenger could understand him.  
  
"Don't worry, we can talk in Japanese." the man said, moving a hand into an inside pocket and pulling out his passport.  
  
Taking the identification from the foreigner, the woker looked through the file of the guy, comparing the picture to the person in front of him. Both had the same clear-cut feature, brown eyes and brown hair, albeit the man in question's hair was noticebly longer than the one in the photo; otherwise, the facial features were the same.  
  
Still, he had to go through the motions of confirming the guys's info.  
  
"Name, sir?"  
  
"Charles Douglas Frepp, but everyone calls me Charlie." said the fedora-wearing man.  
  
"Age?"  
  
"28," Charlie promptly replied.  
  
"Length of stay?"  
  
Charlie smiled. "For several weeks."  
  
"Reason for stay in Japan?"  
  
"Well, I am on vacation for the first few weeks, but I will be talking to the History Club at Tokyo U about 16th century weaponry before my scheduled return," Charlie said, drawing out two folded pieces of paper, ready to hand it to the customs agent. "I also have with me a replica of an English Epee and matching sheathe with me, to show the class an example of the difference between Western and Oriental weapons." He pointed to a wooden case on top of his suitcase with his free hand. "I have the ownership papers here if you need to look at them."  
  
The customs agent took the papers and opened them, reading the ownership permit and the invitation to Todai. Then, after thinking they looked legitemite, the wooden case was unlocked and opened to confirm the claim, as well to check for anything else.   
  
Inside, true enough, was an Western sword sitting in the middle of the case, the metal hilt and cross-guards polished to a shine while protected in styrofoam casing. The black sheathe was also gleaming, although it seemed a little more worse for wear, but the customs agent didn't think anything of this, since the guy probably displayed it outside its casing for eager students and such. After a few minutes of checking the rest of the man's luggage, Charlie was led to a room where he could wait for confirmation of the permit and invitation. Charlie just smiled and stated nothing wrong with it, saying that he had done this enough times to understand.  
  
When the agent went away to make the callls, Charlie relaxed a little. He wasn't worried about the permit of invitation; they were both real, No, he had worried that they would ask him to unsheathe the sword to confirm that it was an item for display only.  
  
Charlie chuckled at the thought. Thinking how the man would react if he knew he had seen an actual, servicable sword in this age made him quietly laugh.   
  
He felt the slight annoyance in his head, which almost made him laugh harder. As he continued to laugh, the annoyance became stronger, only diminishing after he stopped chuckling. It was replaced by anxiousness and concern.  
  
Of course, he thought to himself, she would be worried about him after having done this for years, traveling with a weapon close to hand. He knew that the permit was legit, since he did own it and displayed it often to people, although not always to those who were wanting to see it. And the invitation was real. Certain favors had been called in to make it possible, but it gave him a reason to be in Tokyo for a few days.  
  
Projecting pictures of the permit, drawing the sword, the invitation, and memories of times when the two of them had done this in other airports, he gave the idea that all was fine. Nothing would be different this time either.  
  
The feeling he recieved in return was doubt, mixed slightly with fear. She didn't have as much confidence as he did that he would get away with it.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Charlie smiled again as he walked out of the airport, hauling his luggage and wooden case on a stroller behind him. As he predicted, he had made it by customs without a problem. The papers were technically legit; the sword was a replica of the old epees, but one that was made to be used, not just for show. If he drew the weapon an inch or two out of its sheathe, the usual gloss on a display-only weapon would have made any suspisions of it being display-only would be gone, and he knew it wouldn't something simple to cover.   
  
His invitation to make a show of the weapon was also true. He did, in fact, plan to spend a day at the university to show the weapon off to students. Those who made the arrangements for him to be in Japan saw the solution the best way to cover why he would bring a weapon across the ocean in a plane, where it was impossible to hide the weapon somewhere, or bribe certain people to keep quiet on the subject.   
  
The feeling of relief came from the back of his mind, mixed slightly wiith anger. Charlie smiled as he translated the emotions; she was glad he was through the danger, but wished he hadn't been right.  
  
Still smiling outwardly, he sent the image of himself seen in the window reflection beside him. He made sure that she understood through the image that he was highly sure nothing could go wrong anytime soon. After all, he wasn't defenseless or in a bad sitution. Not waiting for a reasponse, he found a cab, loaded his stuff into the trunk, and got in the back. All he said to the driver was "Take me to a good hotel in Nerima, please."  
  
Charlie swore the man winced when the word 'Nerima' came up.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Near the business section of Nerima, one ramen shop, locally owned and operated, once again felt the burden that comes with living in an area with highly odd characters living near-by.  
  
Within a few moments of entering the shop, Happosai leaped outside after finishing off several bowls near hand inside while dodging flying objects thrown by the proprietor. As he yelled where to send the bill to (the Tendo dojo, compliments of Ranma Satome, of course), he decided that it was time to go home for supper. He stilled carried the bag of underwear with him, enough of a haul to last him the day, at least. Taking off towards the training hall, the old man ran as if a crowd of girls were chasing him at the moment, a statement that was only partially true.  
  
Before he knew it, a hand grabbed the bag he was carrying, picking him up in the process. The grandmaster of the Anything Goes School turned to see a hectic female Ranma, running at full speed, clearly upset by something. Blinking, the old man turned a little more to see Akane running behind them, wooden hammer in hand and murder in her eyes, followed by the regular crowd that seemed to follow the two wherever they went.  
  
The old man turned back to Ranma, dissapointment clearly in his eyes. "Ranma," he said, "look at yourself. If I were you and had all these pretty ladies chasing after me, I wouldn't be running away."  
  
Ranma lifted the old man up higher so she could talk to him at eye level. "And who do you think is responsible for this fiasco?" Without waiting a response, she gave Happosai a quick punt into the air, which opened the blanket with all the beauties he had 'freed' that day.  
  
"My prettiiiiieeeeeeessssssss!" the voice dragged as he launched into the air.  
  
Ranma sighed as he saw the freak become a point in the sky. Why can't nothing happen to him for once?  
  
-----------------------  
  
Charlie didn't know what was wrong with the taxi driver after they had enetered the Nerima ward. After asking for a place to stay in the specified region, they had made good time on his accounts, compared to how traffic was moving and the difficulty of the Japanese-equivalent of rush hour. But, as soon as he came within a few minutes of the area he was wanting to go, the driver had slowed down substantially, and acted as if something would destroy him, his occupant and his car within seconds, with the chance of taking everything within a five block radius as well. The one time he had asked said something during their trip, mainly to ask what war they were fighting out here, the man had reacted by hitting the gas and speedng through several residential blocks before he had realised what had happened before he resumed his slow pace.   
  
He frowned, wondering what was so bad that the man was frightened just by being in this area. Out of more boredom than anything else, Charlie took a look outside, watching the buildings go by, seeing them without actually seeing mute evidence of the thing the driver feared. As he looked out the vehicle, sending several images of what he had witnessed of the driver's reactions while they had traveled, balantly forgetting to screen out the actual images of the buildings themselves as he conversed mentally. Slowly, confusion and wonder replaced any other emotion he felt in the back of his mind, something that made him become more alert at what he was sending. Mentally hitting himself for his error, Charlie quickly filtered the buildings he was physically seeing with his eyes, then resent the images of the driver.   
  
The returning emotions was crisp understandment, but mingled with confusion and curiosity, but not directed at the previous image.  
  
Wondering what that could be about, Charlie outwardly focused, meaning to puzzle out what the received feelings were meaning. As he looked outside the vehicle, a reason came to him. Another image of the surrounding area confirmed it; this is what she was wanting to know.   
  
The Nerima area alomst seemed like a war zone indeed! Uncountable holes seemed to dot places in walls, trees and telephone poles that have had better days. Near one building, several cuts were, by Charlie's trained eye, made by horizontal cuts of a sword-like weapon, while the pock-marks of a near-by statue indicated a multiple thrust technique by a similar, if not the same, weapon. That, or maybe bullet-holes, judging from several craters which he could only see grenades creating. Many houses and business had the look of patch jobs or were closed, if at all occupied, for badly-needed repairs.  
  
What made everything worse was that local residents didn't seem to take particular notice to these problems, as if these were almost a daily happening. One couple, talking as they traveled down the walkay, unconsciouly walked around a small hole in the ground, never missing a step or word as the cautiously moved around as they continued down the street, and an old lady was flinging water out on a street, seemingly oblivious of the crack running across the wooden door behind her or the bent metal sign beside her.  
  
The passenger sat, dumbstruck, looking outside at all the structural damage that etched almost every surface possible. Images he mentally sent were recieved with the same feelings of surprise, confusion, and apprehension he was feeling. All of which Charlie concurred with. He sent the image of the Universal Gear, imposed with a sword.   
  
It was a good possibility a guardian candidate lived nearby. And the spirit ward too.  
  
Silence answered him; it was the only answer he needed..  
  
-----------------------  
  
C&C are welcome, and no worries if you wish to remain anonymous now. I was originally planning to have a few chapters of Ranma's happenings before introducing the new characters, but decided otherwise. I plan to flesh out this chapter at a later time, but not in the near future.  
  
Revised Notes: Not all I want to add to the chapter at the moment, I want to rework some of Ranma's scenes later. I just wanted to make the opening the way I originally wanted it to look. And wanted to change the meeting with Kuno. He's not my favorite character to write dialouge for, but deserved a slightly larger scene than a passing mention.  
Suggestions are always welcome.  
  
blue-scarf-fics@yahoo.com 


	3. Headaches

Spirit Guardian  
  
by D'Fused  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. Any resemblence to other characters or stories, unless specified, are unintentional. So be it.  
  
Chapter 3  
Headaches  
  
Imagine, if you will, a place that is totally neutral. Neutral in the sense that there is nothing defining the area: no light source, yet not completely dark. There is no difference between the up and down, or left and right, or north and south. There is no life as it is defined in this area. No animals, plants, insects, or microorganisms roming around. If such beings had appeared, they wouldn't have lived, for this area had no scientific or natural elments to it. Temperatures don't mean a thing here, nor do those ideals humans have a need to measure in quantity and quality. For lack of a better term, this place would be the perfect ideal of the value-neutral area. Yet, while its a place where everything is as undefined as possible, it has to be somewhere to be defined as a place.  
  
Within this place of neutrality, something exists. A round object rotates slowly, unwavering in its speed and location, although it is hard to tell as much, since such things are inmeasurable here. The object isn't physical in nature, although it has been made so in its crudest forms. Instead, it is a symbol, believed on the physical, spiritual and metaphoric levels, although some will argue its significance on the metaphysic level as well.  
  
The symbol is easy to recognise. Although color, shape and other visual qualities are non-existent on the physical level, the symbolic level of the object holds true, for it is belief that gives it that ability. One side of the symbol is white, not the interweaving of multiple colors to make the appearance of white, but a plain, sharp white color. The other half of the figure is black, not a dark greyish color borderlining black, but a black that is so dark to actually hurt the eyes to look at, if such a vision was possible. These parts are tear-shaped, running along the edges, their points ending off with the other's curve beginning. And within these tears, a small circle of its opposite color pierce their middle, creating an imperfection, if a symbol could be said to have an imperfection.  
  
For humans, this symbol is known to represent the Chinese philosophies of Ying and Yang. Outside of the human manifestation, its true name is the Universal Gear.  
  
Its representation, that all is connected and has a relationship with everything, even its opposite, remains the same. Its a simple, yet complex, concept that covers all aspects of life: instinct and reason, chaos and order, space and matter, life and death, good and evil, male and female, and more than can be put into such simple terms. In every case, the two parts compromise their relationship - Both different, yet the same. Seperated, yet together. Driven apart, yet attracted to each other. Imperfect, yet perfection incarnate.  
  
In balance, yet paradoxal in that balance.   
  
Now where is this place?. Its a place where symbols exists, not on a physical plane, but on a plane that cannot be reached by human manipulation, one where everthing can't be clearly defined by physical human senses. In other words, a realm outside the pysical realm.  
  
Yet, if it is just a symbol, why would it rotate? Wouldn't it need only to exist and be stationary, since it is a symbol of an idea?  
  
Its not a mistake in reason, since, if human eyes could see the symbol within the place, and could actually break down the area into its individual parts, they could tell that the symbol is rotating. But why would a symbol rotate in such a matter, if its just an ideal?  
  
To answer that question, we should look at the essence of the philosophy of the symbol itself. In the best mortal comprehension of the philosophy, there is always two forces, working constantly, interacting and complementing each other. And since all that exists has a balance to it, so does even a symbol of balance need its counterpart.  
  
Thus the question has an answer.. The Universal Gear itself has a counterpart, one that is its balance, so to speak. And that counterpart is...  
  
-----------------------  
  
Ranma was, among anything, his father's son, so he did inherit some of Genma's habits and characteristics. One of those both had in common was the ability to sleep through an earthquake, firestorm, and tornado without even budging. And, like his father, he would be content to stay asleep, as long as something didn't directly make contact with him while he slept through the natural disasters,   
  
So, when Ranma was rudely awaken by an offending elbow of his father, once again in panda form, the teenage protege was, to say the least, not happy. He was, in fact, pretty steamed at the moment, although a pounding headache had its share in the equation too Giving his father a frown, he sat up and blinked his eyes a couple times before yawning. Finally he laid back down after giving his father another glance, waiting to see if another limb would come his way. As he waited, his gaze changed slowly from the side to the ceiling, and his thoughts moved from panda rugs to the weird dream he had before his rude awakening.   
  
Oh, sure, he has had troubling dreams before; the one about Jusenkyo drying up wasn't the worse one that came to his mind off-hand. In fact, Ranma was willing to admit to himself, most of it didn't make much sense to him, especially what seemed to be high philosophy, something he never had thought much of. The Ying-Yang symbol he was familiar with, since he had come across it occasionally while in China, although knowing what it meant was somewhat different. But that wasn't what was troubling him. No, what was troubling him was that it seemed an outside source was sending him the dream, and was narrating the dream as it unfolded. High philosophy about Chinese ideals were never part of his education.   
  
Mentally, he snorted at the last thought. Anything not related to martial arts were never part of his education while growing up. It was another thing to add to an already long list.  
  
Whatever that dream had been for, it hadn't been from his own subconcious, he decided. This, of course, brought up the question of how and where it had come from, and why this night, of all nights.  
  
Ranma didn't have any time to spend thinking any further as his father casually pushed him off the futon and onto the floor. After all attempts to move him back had failed, Ranma silently cursed his cursed pop and opened the door, making his way downstairs.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Ranma wasn't the only person up at this time of the day, or night, depending on your view. Kasumi was up as well, in front of the stove in the kitchen, waiting for the pot to slowly heat up. Although she didn't come close to the Satomoe ability to sleep through almost anything, she was still a sound sleeper. It wasn't like her to wake up in the middle of the night without probable cause, yet, tonight, she had came awake a few minutes ago for no apparent reason. Finding herself unable to fall asleep again, Kasumi did the one thing she knew would help; she had gone downstairs for some warm milk. Understanably, being half-asleep but still knowledgable of her houseguest's sleeping habits, it was a surprise for her to see Ranma also appear in the kitchen.   
  
Without seeing her, Akane's fiance went to the fridge and opened the door, resorting back to another trait both father and son had in common; aquiring huge amounts of substance whenever possible. Yet, in respect to the usual marvel breakfast would be, Ranma only planned to have a light snack before going back to bed.   
  
"Let's see...leftover pork buns...bread...lettuce...rice...cheese..." Ranma said, holding the food with one hand extended outward as he threw bowls and plates with food onto his left. "...boiled eggs...ugh, three boxes of Akane's mystery disaster. Must be tomorrow's lunch. Better throw them away quickly."  
  
Giving the bluish-looking substances a toss into the trash, Ranma turned and closed the fridge, finally registering the eldest Tendo's presence. She, in return, was paying more attention to the food in Ranma's hands as he moved towards the table, moving quickly while his 'snack' wobbled but stayed upright in its little tower. Giving the food a toss, Ranma turned to her as the food landed on the table, giving her a surprise as none fell on the floor and all of it stood upright.   
  
Double-blinking and quietly saying 'oh my' at the performance, Kasumi turned to Ranma, then, finally remembering why she was in the kitchen, quickly turned to the now-boiling pot of milk. Quickly she took the pot off the hot element and onto another to let it cool. Knowing off-hand that it would be too hot to drink for a bit, she once again turned towards Ranma, who was looking slightly worried.  
  
I bet she hasn't done that since she started learning, Ranma thought to himself with crystal clear understanding. She had been preoccupied. By...me?  
  
"Couldn't sleep?" he hesitantly asked.  
  
Kasumi gave Ranma one of her affectionate, motherly smiles.  
  
"Oh, no," she replied. "I just woke up a few minutes ago, for no reason. I decided to warm some milk up, so I could go to sleep." Kasumi frowned for a second, then asked "What about you, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma's only reply was muttered, although the words 'sleeping', 'pop' and 'zoo' were said in the same breath. Kasumi, although seemingly oblivious to the happenings in the house, understood enough of the problems between him and his father to realise Mr. Satome had done something while Ranma was sleeping to wake him up.   
  
Sighing, Kasumi knew neither would be going to bed soon, and decided to make the best of the situation. After taking a quick inventory of the foodstuffs on the table, Kasumi moved over to the cupboards, taking out a couple plates and a knife. Since she was going to be waiting for her milk too, she might as well join Ranma.  
  
-----------------------  
  
For the first few minutes, neither spoke as they consumed their food, Kasumi nibbling on her snack in her delicate way, while Ranma chewing at a respectful pace of one not wanting to be as rude not to taste what was caefully prepared. Without the need to batle over the culinary delights, Ranma was finding himself enjoying the food. Then, as the food dwindled down, both began to dwell on their own thoughts. Kasumi's attention was split between the pot and Ranma, with Ranma making up most of her attention. From past experience, Kasumi knew he was a nice boy, and that he cared for Akane. Oh, sure he did say the wrong thing sometimes, and Akane was alittle tempermental, but they got along well.   
  
Glancing at him at the corner of her eyes, she could tell something was bothering him, but what was exactly wrong wasn't clear. It could be something he and his father were at ends about, but it didn't sound right. Kasumi knew Ranma would mutter darkly whenever he was angry at his father, just as he did when she had asked if he couldn't sleep. At the moment, all he was doing was looking at his empty plate, picking individual rice off the otherwise-clean plate. No, clearly it wasn't something to do with his father.   
  
Ranma, for his part, was indeed distracted, and wasn't thinking of his father in any sort of light. He was trying to remember the strange dream and everything that was said, specifically about how there was balance in everything. From what he could understand, everything that was said made sense to him. If there wasn't balance in everything, there would be nothing to act as a counterweight or to keep everything in check. That he understood. He thought he understood, at least.  
  
His true problem was applying the theory to a situation that he could understand. Naturally, his first thought was to apply it to martial arts.  
  
The night's headache, forgotten while sitting down to eat, slowly made its presence known once again as Ranma recalled every battle he could, looking for an example that would fit this scenario. Comparing it to how he had cancelled Ryoga's Shish Houkodan with his own attack wasn't correct, since they had merely cancelled each other's blast. Nor was the idea of the Umisenken and Yamasenken perfect; they were opposing techniques, but couldn't work together as one.  
  
Movement broke his line of thought as Kasumi stood up and entered the kitchen. He blinked as the drapes stopped moving, and tried to think what was in the kitchen that was so important. Of course. The milk.  
  
After a suitable time elapse, Kasumi returned to the table with two glasses of milk, both warm, but not too hot. Without asking she placed one glass in front of Ranma, sitting back where she had originally sat and sipped on the warm liquid. Ranma only eyed the glass; she had had no idea he would have been up, yet there was enough milk for two full glasses.  
  
Reading the unasked question in his face, Kasumi simply answered, "The milk was still too hot. I added more milk from the fridge to cool it a bit." She smiled as she handed him one. "I'd thought you'd like some too."  
  
A smile slowly grew on his face. Of course, it made perfect sense now.  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
The person in question blinked twice as he focused on the voice talking, seeing a confused Kasumi looking at him, one glasse of warm   
milk in her hands and her smile replaced by slight worry. He convinced her that all was alright by picking up his glass and drinking it.  
  
"Kasumi?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Kasumi's smile grew wider when he had thanked her. It was nice to see him being so polite.  
  
"No problem. Warm milk is good for you."  
  
Ranma's smile dropped for a brief second, but it quickly came back. "Yeah, thanks for the that too."  
  
-----------------------  
  
Across Nerima, a certain figure walks along the deserted, dark street, not taking much notice of his surroundings. Some would say, for a martial artist, that such behavior is dangerous, since knowing one's surroundings is crucial while fighting, and fighting isn't neccessarily always in tournaments or dojos. Others would say that such behavior is that of one over-confident in his abilities, which is also a dangerous flaw.  
  
But it wasn't because he was ignorant of his surroundings or over-confident. No, truth be told, the reason he didn't take notice was that he didn't have a clue where he was to begin with.  
  
Almost to confirm everyone's caculable guesses of who this person is, he suddenly let out one of his favorite cries into the night in a moment of frustration.  
  
"WHERE AM I NOW????!!!!"  
  
Not recieving any rely, Ryoga sighed and sat down on the side of the road. Not normally the nocturnal type of person, he nonetheless had traveled the whole night, although he hadn't appreciatively taken stock of where he had ended up. He had passed evidence of his location during the night while in speculation, eyes down on the road and vaguely in front of him. So it might be understandable if he had missed the Cat Cafe, closed for the night. It might also be understood if had missed the sign stating Uchan's, since he only had occasional association with one of several girls with a claim on Ranma. The same could be said when he passed Furiken High or the Kuno manor, as well as several places where he and Ranma had battled, from the vacant lots and school field, to the zoo and parks.   
  
What was interesting, and surprising, was his unintentional passing of the Tendo Dojo without him noticing it. Those who knew him best would expect one of several reactions, depending if he was in human form or in his cursed state at the moment. However, he didn't look to the side and recognise the wall surrounding the estate, nor the signs that proclaimed a familiar place of learning. Somewhere, fate had a quirk of curiosity, since a scenario like this had never played out before. To fulfill this curiosity, and to see if it was a fluke, Ryoga was led around by his lack of direction around the Tendo area and near where his rival sat awake a few times before fate conceded the point; Ryoga Hibiki was distracted.  
  
As what was distracting the nominal Lost Boy was not the first idea that might come to mind. Nor the second. Nor the third. Surprisingly, it would be close to the last thing you would guess. But that would be the case, since its pointless to keep on guessing after finding the answer. No, the thought that distracted Ryoga to the point that he was oblivious of his surroundings was that this would be the night of the dream.  
  
Ever since he had followed Ranma to Nerima, Ryoga had had one dream that frequently occured while he slept. It wasn't a bad dream; far from it. Nor was this dream one which stirred uncomfortable feelings within himself. This dream seemed like any other dream, except for the fact that it occured on a regular basis. It wasn't on a sparadic basis, where he might dream it two days in a row, then go a week or a month before it came again, but a fixed, regular basis that was almost like clockwork. This particular dream would happen once every two weeks, never changing its pattern once in the years he has had them.  
  
Only one discovery over the years had made it bearable. If he chose to stay awake through the nigfht, he wouldn't have the dream. It wouldn't appear the next night, or appear in a waking dream the next day, but would wait the full two weeks before reappearing. It wa a consoltation that he was willing to put up with, although the choice was sometimes out of his hands.  
  
Ryoga sighed and dropped his head. He never understood the dream, how something called the Universal Gear would be so important to him. And the rest made no sense either.   
  
Looking to the sky, he saw the sky starting to change to lighter shades of blue. It was drawing time to when he could set up camp for the night and rest awhile, since the dream never started after a certain time. Another discovery he had made was that the dream only happened within a certain timeframe. He had never asked why this was, as if it had a limited time to act every night. He didn't care to knoow more than how to stop the dream. He never had wanted it to start, and wouldn't miss it when it ended.  
  
Taking a look around, he noticed that his wanderings had taken him into a vacant lot. Ryoga shrugged; it was a good as any other place to set camp, and he doubted anyone wouldn't mind him resting for a few hours before going on.   
  
In relative short time, with the sun rising in the horizon, the Lost Boy had settled in to nap for a few hours. He'd figure things out later.  
  
-----------------------  
  
There weren't many others awake that night, if you discounted those working night-shift jobs or seeking companionship of another. Of those who don't apply to these categories, there were only few that were truly noteworthy to mention.   
  
Charlie was another party awake at this time of day, or night, if you wish to call it such. Unlike Ranma, who had raided the fridge as an excuse to make sense of his world, or Ryoga, who had gotten lost while speculating about his dreams, Charlie had spent it in meditation. His epee was laying in front of him in a position that was akin to that which the samurai had lain their weapons while in meditation; an ironic twist that some might have found amusing. The amusement wouldn't last if those amused knew the blade and weilder could be unsheathed in less than a moment's notice, as could the samurai of old do while meditating also.  
  
Charlie was focusing within, letting his mind flow through his body, analyzing its condition and adjusting the blood and spirit flows for healing any problems internally. It had become a custom for him, everyday, to spend time focused within, mainly to check the condition of his body. It was a time to physically relax, and it was a good excuse sometimes if he had to think about things when he was by himself.   
  
Within an hour of checking into the hotel and asking a few careful questions about the damage to the area, he had confirmed that interesting people did live in the area. What made them so interesting was that most of the damage was caused by fights or challenges by martial artists, most of them of the age that the usual ssigns would appear. Many told stories of that almost seemed like tall tales. People flying into the air with a punch, or energy balls straight out of local manga. Some talked about how there was trouble nearby, although the location seemed to change according to who he talked to. Some would say the local high school, others a couple businesses in town, or numerous lots and open areas around the place. Few, who swore on their most sacred oaths, said it was from a local dojo that all the trouble came from, but wouldn't elaborate further than that.   
  
Tommorow would be spent asking questions again. He needed to know about the odd happenings in the town, preferably from a first-hand source. If he was lucky, someone would be willing to talk about the mysterious dojo mentioned to him. Maybe even find it himself.   
  
Charlie smiled at that thought. The chances of finding both guardian and ward with a day was easy, except for this case. He would have to do old-fashioned investigating to find the guy.  
  
An alarm went off on top of his traveling gear. entally pulling himself out of the trance, he turned and shut off the beeper before it woke anyone else up. Standing up and stretching, Charlie moved over to the phone in the corner of the room. Picking up the reciever, he made a decision, placing a call to a number well remembered. It rang three times before someone answered.  
  
"Hello?" a voice asked on the other end.  
  
"Its Charlie," he replied. "I have news. A potential guradian hasn't been confirmed, but the evidence of one living nearby are present. Asking for..."  
  
"Before anything else is said, denied," a new voice interuppted. "Evidence is great, and would be accepted in any other case, but the only concrete evidence that will be approved of is locating the actual candidate. Anything but that could be duplicated, so we have to take precaustions."  
  
Charlie frowned at this. This was going to be difficult indeed. "Any sightings?"  
  
"We had a couple today. One ended about five hours ago and hasn't been seen since. Hasn't moved either from the region, so it shouldn't be as bad as it might be."  
  
Late afternoon, Charlie mentally translated. It was midnght here, which meant about seven when he went missing. Most families would've had supper by then. It was nothing he could use.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Nothing. Same orders stand until further notice. How are you hiding your weapon?" The last was asked in more retrospective tone.   
  
The reply was more off-hand than anything else. "I'm keeping it wrapped in a cloth cover. The place is such a war zone, nobody thinks   
twice of it."  
  
Quiet laughter was the response from the other end of the phone. "That bad?" the person asked.  
  
"Yeah. That bad." was his only reply.  
  
-----------------------  
  
One other being was technically awake this night, only true since it didn't actually sleep. Sleeking through a smelly alleyway in a more run-down area of Tokyo, it used its senses to search for the one which was its target. Crawling its way across the garbage heap, a lone tabby meowed and followed the thing, looking for an easy meal in the slim pickings of trash bins. Both creatures moved towards the shadows, the tabby seemingly stalking the ill-defined creature. As they left the light, a fierce growl of anger turned to fear before a yowl broke the dim silence. Silence that stretched even after the creature moved onward.  
  
The thing moved inthe general direction of its target, inching its way in areas that it wouldn't be easily recognized in. It dropped into the sewer system at a moderately lighted traffic area, climbing its way up to a drain to see if the shadows were large enough to move in. Judging it passible, it squeezed its way through the small opening and into the welcome shadows, reforming itself back into its original shape before moving on.   
  
Onward it went, even though it now moved only in the direction it had last felt the vibration. Tracking this target had been a pain, since it would stop vibrating at odd times. Moving around the city hadn't helped either; he had moved in the same direction the target had been after the vibration left. It thought to be closer when it continued, but not so far. Sometimes it had skirted the city limits before the target reappeared in another area in the reverse direction.  
  
Slowly it stopped and looked around. Seeing another mancover hole, it moved silently and slipped into the cracks, changing form as it dropped below. Once again forming from the blob into a creature, it continued moving. Sewers and other places like it were its natural habitat. Light of any kind for long duration was fatal; it lived to die, but preferred taking with them someone.   
  
Still it continued on, not knowing that it will miss its target for another night.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Akane wasn't up. She was sound asleep, dreaming. Her dreams were about Ranma, protecting her from some unseen assailant. Another dream was of him sitting at the dining table, looking into a glass. Occasionally, P-Chan would pop up, cuddling in her arms, or Ryoga, seemingly lost again on one of his training journeys. Oddly enough, a third person filled her mind, although she had never seen him before. He was standing in the dojo, under the small shrine, holding onto something familiar. All of them, including her pet, seemed to be in pain, as if each had a headache no aspirin could rid.  
  
Rolling in her bed, she muttered something uncomprehendable before drifting back to sleep.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Even though he hadn't originally intended to be awake at this hour, Ranma had been glad for the chance. He felt he could rest now that the little puzzle that had fallen into his lap was solved, he could sleep for the rest of the night. Offering to help clean up, he had been gently pushed towards the stairs by Kasumi, saying it was nothing she couldn't handle. Giving in to her gentle ways, he had complied, partly because his mind, now in command after his stomach was satisfied, stated that he needed sleep. Yawning, he went back to the room he and his parents shared.  
  
Only to see his father laying half-way on his futon.   
  
Deciding it futile to push the panda over after a few atempts, Ranma grabbed his pillow and moved to the corner of the room. His headache came back as he struggled to pull that comfort away from the sleeping form.   
  
Why was it always him, he mentally asked the universe.  
  
-----------------------  
  
The universe, expectively, failed to answer.  
  
-----------------------  
All I'll say is the metaphoric shit is about to hit the fan. Lots of foreshadowing, with a little of what will be the focus of the story. Took me longer to do than I expected, since I wanted the first part right the first time. More when I can.  
Thanks goes out to OmegaDL50, who looked over the incomplete draft of this chapter and gave input.   
Suggestions are, as always, welcome.  
  
blue_scarf_fics@yahoo.com 


	4. Crossing Paths

Spirit Guardian  
  
by D'Fused  
  
Disclaimer: Umm, disclaimer?  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Crossing Paths  
  
The thing had spent the last few days traveling. Not traveling in the way a certain Eternal Lost Boy traveled by picking a direction and hoping he got where he needed to be. This had more sense than that; it stopped going in one direction once it hit the city limits. After that point was reached, it turned back and returned along the same path, until either reaching the other side of the city or its target was detectable.   
  
Currently, its path was one it had traced several times within the last few days, spending as much time in the sewers as it waited for the sun to go down. After it was dark enough for it to go within Tokyo, it slithered along the shoadows, avoiding the lighted areas as much as possible. Occasionally an animal too curious ortoo stupid for its own sake crossed its path, and was absently killed as it moved by. It didn't live for the kill. Killing was to remove anything that might get in its path of the target. It had a higher function, a true reason for being.  
  
It lived to die.  
  
Without a missed step, the thing suddenly changed its path, heading a new way as its target-sense vibrated in a certain direction . Its sense couldn't tell how far the target was, although it would recognize whom it triggered for when they came in view. Then its reason would be complete.  
  
It lived to die.  
  
The creature continued on, moving onward along the sewer.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Charlie hadn't had better luck in the last few days. Almost as soon as he had started asking questions about the mysterious dojo, many people clamped shut. Actually, most people either clamped up or feigned ignorance, which was pretty much the same. In fact, many people refused to talk about anything to do with martial arts. They were ready to talk about some of the beautiful, if unusual, girls who lived in the area, or about the cost of continous repairs to property, but wouldn't say anything when he steered the conversation towards what he needed to know.  
  
Today's attempts hadn't been more sucessful, after spending the morning without a person willing to talk to him. He guessed a foreigner carrying a bundle on his back did stick out a little. And his somewhat blunt questions did tend to be slightly undiplomatic. He was never good with subtle questions to begin with, so he did what came natural.  
  
Amusement came from the feelings in the back of his mind. She thought it was funny that he was having problems finding the person.   
  
Charlie sent the image of a clock back to her, followed by a sunset and a star-filled sky. She had opted to be awake when he was. which meant she spent most of her time doing nothing while they communicated in their odd fashion. Usually she could go and shop or watch something with only a slight loss in concentration when he sent an image to her. Now, she had very little she could do atnights, which made things harder.  
  
It didn't help matters that she had also asked to go to Japan a day after he had called in. She had been told almost the exact same thing he had been; stay away until there is confirmation, then permission to join up with him would be granted.  
  
She had egged him on to find out so she could go.  
  
Charlie sighed and looked around. He spied the man looking at him around the corner, not with his eyes, but with the Spirit technique he used for detection. He was watching him while trying not to be noticed, being an unimportant part of the crowd while keeping an eye on him. The guy was unimaginative, idiotic, or both.   
  
He was the second person to follow Charlie around since he started asking questions. The first person who trailed him was able to do so while physically invisible. That didn't mean he wasn't able to point straight at him and call him out; he was just observing, and let him do so. He might be wrong about this whole situation, and this invisble person might be a key to the problem.  
  
The second person was more straight forward, only watching from a distance. When Charlie felt his presence along the bond, he had left him be too. For all he knew, the guy was the curious type, and if he spread the word that all he was asking was questions, it might be that easier for him to get answers. With that in mind, he picked one of the passing students at random and started to approach her, in hope she would give him information.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
The girl stopped talking to her friends as he apporached, waiting for what he needed to ask her. Behind him, a noise like thunder   
  
boomed across the sky, which he paid no attention to.  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
Charlie looked at the girl with apprehension. She had turned slightly to the side, not exactly in a fighting stance, but in a position that she was indeed wary of him and could defend herself if she needed to. Her short, bluish-black hair made her look a little boyish, but he saw how some might find that attractive.  
  
Jealousy and anger flared in the corner of his mind she shared with him. This had been another repetitive problem. Whenever he talked to someone, he sent an image of them so she could see whom he talked to. She had no problems with older men or the elderly. Some men around their ages made her send feelings he interpreted as meaning 'cute', preferring that description over some of the other translations she had given over the years to 'those' emotions. But whenever he looked or talked to a girl ten years his junior or senior, it was instant jealousy, with assorted mixtures of anger, irritation and, sometimes, envy. The last usually made him chuckle; she denied she compared herself to those she could only mentally percieve, but he could tell there were some attributes she saw in them that she would have died for.   
  
The grl didn't provoke that certain feeling at the moment, something which he was glad for. He absently sent back the image of her being tickled with a feather, with the usual return of determination from her. The image was one of several he used throughout the last few days, mainly so he would have something that wasn't distracting him from the business at hand. It was also the quickest way to get her attention when he needed it, especially when others around him might look at him weird.  
  
This communication took less than a moment of a second to transpire, without him seemingly to lose focus on who he was looking at. He opened his mouth to ask her the same question he had asked everyone else, and was rudely interupted.  
  
"Stop, knave!"  
  
-----------------------  
  
Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, aka The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, had watched the foreigner with the clothed bundle on his back for some time. He had observed the man in his steadfast apporaches to the peasant masses for the last day and a half, and had become interested in the reasoning behind his inquiries.  
  
The kendoist watched from around the last corner the stranger had turned, watching from a respectful distance before turning onto the   
  
same street. Apparently the man had been preoccupied, he thought, since he expected a man who walked with a grace that rivaled that of his own would surely have the senses of that would come close to his own too! Surely he wasn't such a simpleton!   
  
(Actually, Sasuke had started watching the man when he overheard him asking, in an aroundabout fashion, about his master, his sister, and several other people who assosiated with the Kuno family. He had made Kuno aware of the questions, and had been instructed to watch him further. He had gone back to report what he had found, missing his master. Only a few minutes passed between the time Sasuke had left and Kuno had come across the stranger, entirely by fluke while he readied to ask Akane out on a date.)  
  
"If this mouse of a man is has not the appitude to know the basic of all techniques, he should not carry a weapon that is overrated for him!" Kuno cried out loud, not knowing he had said these words in front of everyone. The crowd only acknowledged this by moving in some direction except the way he was looking. In the five minutes that he took to say his flowery speech, which included the words 'lesson' 'sword' and 'Blue Thinder' no less than three times, the street was clear of everyone but him, the stranger, the three students he was apporaching, and three black spots where lightning had struck after he had mentioned the words Blue Thunder.  
  
Kuno frowned as he recognized the three students. "They are no other than the fair maiden Akane Tendo and her friends". His mind made its normal jump to the most obvious conclusion; which he stated "Someone who is my peer is about to jostle the bright flower of the Tendo household. As a man of honor, I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan, cannot, will not, stand for such impertence. He would have to be punished, and my bokken shall be guided by the justice of the heavens!"  
  
Lightning crackled down from the clear sky as to make the point, striking the street at a safe distance behind him. He took the sign to mean that he was in the right. With that in mind, Tatewaki Kuno steeled himself to punish the man as he walked forward across the bridge. His rage grew as the man continued to ignore his presence, one of the first things he would have to correct in the stranger's study of the art.  
  
-----------------------  
  
.   
  
Akane sighed as she saw Kuno come up fom behind the man, his wooden sword raised slightly and stance in the position he used whenever fighting, left foot slightly forward and arms bent. Her friend's reactions were about the same as her's; they wanted him to leave Akane alone, and anyone he saw talking to her as well, which included Ranma. They were all sick of his spiels of the'vengence of the heavens' and his 'superior kendo skills' that make him more of an idiot than he was.   
  
The stranger's reaction was different. He casually turned to meet the newcomer, as if he knew that he was there. Rather than ask the first question that she would have asked (that could be summed as who is this idiot?), he just looked Kuno straight in the eyes, then moved around with percision. Akane watched how his eyes moved; he didn't move his body while he almost scanned everything else of the kendoist's stance, position, build, and things she couldn't apprehend him looking at. He then moved with a slow casualness that said he was not planning to attack while he moved. He halted standing in a position that differed in every detail to Kuno's battle position. The stranger almost seemd to mock him by almost leaning against the rail of the bridge; it looked like he did, but he wasn't touching the concrete or metal.   
  
She gave the guy credit; even Kuno couldn't be stupid enough to know the man thought him as little or no threat to his safety. He chose to be against the rail so any attack would be directed only at him, and wouldn't put her or her friends at risk, since the only swing that could be used effectively would be a downward strike or a thrust.  
  
The stranger didn't bother taking the bundle off his back. Although it had a slight different shape to it, Akane knew he had some sort of katana or sword in it, since it was almost identical to what Ranma's mother carried with her. He kept it on his shoulder, with one hand on the strap, not a firm grip, but one that was a warning that he was skilled.  
  
Now that she thought of it, he looked vaguely familiar. It wasn't something she could put a direct finger on, but there was something that made her think that she knew this person.  
  
Kuno stood at a distance that was far enough that he would have to step forward one step to reach the person he faced down. The look he had on his face was one where he percieved the stranger's stance and casualness as an insult. While his opponent looked like he was bored or maybe amused, Kuno was angry, and was getting angrier as it dawned that he wasn't considered a threat.  
  
"What a loathesome being you must be," the local kendoist said between clenched teeth, "to go and molest the fair maiden known as Akane Tendo! And then..."  
  
"Who?" the stranger interupted, which caused Kuno to splutter.  
  
Akane sighed before turning to the man. "He's talking about me."  
  
"Ah." The man gave her and her friends a small bow after adding, "Charlie Frepp, please to make your aquaintance."  
  
-----------------------  
  
"SILENCE!!!!" Kuno yelled, totally enraged. "It is proper to give one's name to your opponent before all else." He stopped to take a few calming breaths as the man looked on, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"Now, I am known at Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, upperclassman of Furinkan High, head classman of the Kendo Club, and known by all as the Blue Thunder of Furikan!" He raised his bokken up and another lightning bolt came out of the clear, blue sky to land a distance behind him. Where any other man would have groveled at the impressive name, the man to whom he faced seemed unimpressed by it. Per chance was that a snicker when he had said the name which all know him by, and a raised brow at the heavens' greeting to their champion?  
  
Kuno shook his head; it mattered not. The foolish knave was outclassed by his superior abilities. He had refused to wield his blade at such an obvious threat like him, and was uneducated in the formal addressing procedures. Surely this man was an idiot.   
  
The man waited with no expression on his face, obvious rethinking of insulting his talents (not really, he was making sure Kuno wasn't going to spout more poetry before replying). Finally, the man opened his mouth to apolog...  
  
"Impressive, I'll give you that. Can you do the same thing with water?"  
  
Kuno grasp on his rage gave. No, it exploded! The fool would still doubt his skills, polished to perfection over years of training! There was only one response to such insolence!  
  
"For that, insult, I shall SMITE THEEE!!"  
  
-----------------------  
  
Akane watched in wonder as the man cooly pressed Kuno's buttons, enraging him on purpose to make the upperclassman strike. It hadn't taken long, with every step and word said by the stranger doing nothing but making Kuno angry. He attacked with a swing she estimated was with all of his strength, with no thought to hold back or for defence.  
  
The oddly familiar man saw this as well. By the look, he had anticipated the attack. He simply stepped to the left of where he was standing, flipping the bundle off his back and into his right hand. As Kuno stepped forward to strike where he had stood, the stranger held the bundle at its mid-pont, placing it in front of the kendoist with his hand at about chest height. As the bokken came down overtop of the bundle, he rotated the bottom half between Kuno's thighs.   
  
Akane stared at Charlie using such an underhanded move. She didn't think he would have used such a strategy to take out an enraged opponent. Then she saw something wrong with the picture. The bundle didn't hit the sensitive area with a swift or hard movement, rather it was highly controlled. It rotated with ease upward, met resistance, and continued rotating, pushing Kuno forward as he lost his balance when his downward slash reached the ground. For one second, Kuno was somehow balanced in the air, with only the man's arm holding him up. Then the one arm continued rotating backwards.  
  
Dumping Kuno, bokken and all, into the water.  
  
The stranger brought down his arm and turned his head to where his soggy opponent lay. Akane couldn't see his expression, but his   
  
voice was the essence of calm when he spoke.  
  
"Tatewaki Kuno," the stranger said, "You are too easily enraged by simple things, and don't think beyond the next attack. Work on your control before you face another opponent."  
  
Akane broke out of her amazement at what she had just witnessed. He had just lifted a person up into the air and over his back with one arm. Amazement soon turned to a smile as she and her friends got the joke behind his message. He effectively told Kuno to cool off.   
  
He turned back to Akane and her friends, giving them another small bow. "I'm sorry about that interuption. Before that, I was going to ask you three question. Mind if I do?"  
  
Yuki and Sakuri were still stunned by the whole fight. They had seen Ranma fight Kuno on almost a daily basis. In their eyes, this man had not only faced and beat Kuno close to the record time Ranma can beat him, but had done the feat with no real flair or style. If you didn't count the strength and balance used to flip him over the rail, that is.  
  
Akane was better off. The move was worthy of the Anything-Goes Style of Martial Arts. He had used words to make his enemy attack, then used his opponent's strength against him. Seeing it had surprised her, but, unlike her friends, she was more aquainted with abnormal moves not to be railroaded. She was the first to respond to Charlie's question.  
  
"Sure." she said.  
  
Charlie smiled and put the bundle back on his shoulder as he and the others ignored the splashing and curses coming from down below. He winced as lightning came down a fair distance away from him, somehow missing all the buildings and roadway to strike the water, which electricuted anything and anyone in it at the time. After making sure all three were paying attention, he asked them his question.  
  
"I was told that there is a dojo somewhere around this area. Could you three give me directions to there?"  
  
Akane and her friends looked at each other with what might be call apprehension. If this person was looking for the Tendo Dojo, it would be easy to take them there. Akane was about to say good-bye to her friends anyway, and the short walk could be long enough to find out more about the person. Especially if he was here to challenge the dojo, although she doubted anyone but Ranma could fight this person. A thought came to her suddenly for no apparent question.  
  
"Are you related to the Hibiki's?"  
  
Charlie blinked at the question, confusion written over his face. That was answer enough.  
  
"No," he confirmed, "I had the impresion it was around the area, but no one would give directions."  
  
Akane smiled at the man as she said good-bye to her friends a led the man away. It would be funny when he found out it was her home she was taking him to.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Nodoka watched from the house as Ranma and Genma practiced out in the yard. Both were intense in their session, with the two trading blows in mid-air, defying gravity for a few seconds, then breaking off to land at the sides of the pool or the wall before launching at each other again. She couldn't help but be proud at how her son was able to defend the onslaught, and press Genma at every moment. Both were impresive, Nodoka had to admit.   
  
However, being impressive and being good at martial arts are different. The wife of Genma watched as Ranma blocked more attacks than her husband did, and how more blows tended to penetrate through Genma's defenses. After a couple weeks of watching them spar, Nodoka could tell that her son was better than his father.  
  
She also had to grin at the thought of how Ranma had learned so much about the martial arts since he had left as a small child. Everyday, before being reunited with them, Ranma's mother wondered where her husband and son were, and worried if Genma was taking good care of him. The few letters sent to her were a small comfort. She knew that they were reassurance that Genma was alive and well, and, even though he always said Ranma was doing well also, Nodoka privately wondered if she and her wandering husband were using the same definition.  
  
The katana-wielding mother looked affectionatly at her son as he flipped over his father and landed on a stone. And now, she knew that those years were well worth it. Nodoka had dreams of how her son, a 'man among men,' would be a great husband when he and Akane get married someday. And a great father to their children.  
  
Nodoka smiled at the thought of Ranma's children. She couldn't help but like the idea becoming a grandmother.  
  
Her relvery was soon broken by a splash. As the Satome mother focused her gazed to where her family was practicing, she noticed Genma at the side of the pond, poised in a position of superiority over the wet form splashing in the water.  
  
"Boy, you are leaving yourself wide open like that. I swear, you get easily distracted by every shiny yen piece lying on the ground."  
  
The body slowly emerged from the pool, shaking as much water as she could from her head as she focused on Genma. Her red hair was soaked, with water shaking from the pig-tail she wore as she moved her head.  
  
"That was no distraction, Pops. You used a dirty trick!"   
  
"Ranma, If I don't show you how to counter these tricks, you'll..." The martial artist didn't get to finsih what he was going to say as he recieved a bucket of water from the pond in his face.   
  
"Can it, Pops, don't use that stupid excuse on me. Look what you did. Now I have to take a bath before supper."  
  
The female martial artist threw the pail away and hopped out of the water towards the house. The heir to Anything Goes School of Martial Arts looked down at her wet gi. The backyard had to be the worse place to practice, since it usually involved a dunk in the pool for one or both members of the family, yet they still prefered training there to the dojo.  
  
A panda standing where Genma stood a second ago made a noise, holding a sign in his paw. {It's your own fault.}  
  
Ranma refused to look at his transformed father, walking back to the house, frustration showing in every step of the way. As far as she was concerned, practice was over for the time being. The panda followed inside, making the sign disappear before going in search of a kettle.  
  
Nodoka sighed and gave her husband a glare that would have had him crouching for forgiveness if his back wasn't turned to her. She hadn't truly liked finding out that her husband had dragged Ranma to those cursed springs in China without knowing any Chinese. Finding out that it was his fault that her son was cursed to be a girl didn't help any either. Genma had sweated plenty when she found that out, especially since that seppuku pledge was still in her posseson. Add that he and 'Ranko' had been living with the Tendo family since they returned to Japan, that he didn't send any letters, and kept her from knowing who they really were all the times she visited, it was a surprise Genma still lived. As it was, she had lost plenty of respect for her husband. Most likely the ony reason he still lived was because Ranma always acted manly, even while in his cursed form.   
  
The wife of Genma sighed again as she entered the house and climbed the stairs to the guest room. Ranma had also worried about the sekkapu pledge and the katana she had carried with her when she visited. However, unlike his father, he had wanted to meet her, and spend time with her, even going as far as learning to cook in the kitchen with Akane. He wasn't at fault for having legitimate fears about his mother. No, she knew who was to blame for that and a few other problems trailing her son. And she knew her husband would pay for it soon. Stopping on the stairs, she changed her mind and returned downstairs, thinking to help Kasumi with dinner. As it happened, when she passed the bathroom, Nodoka could clearly hear Ranma through the screen doors leading to the bathtub.  
  
"Stupid old man. Him and his stupid ideas. He knows I'm better than him, and has to cheat during practice. Thanks to him, I have a fiancee who's can't cook, hits me for no reason, and won't believe anything I say. I don't even know how many other fiancees he's engaged me to, and that's not the worse part of it."  
  
Nodoka blinked at what she was hearing. Other fiancees? Obviously, Genma didn't tell everything he and her son did in the ten years they spent on the road training. Curious, Ranma's mother quietly slipped into the dressing room to hear better what he was saying, hoping he wouldn't hear her come in.  
  
Ranma didn't hear his mother move silently to the other side of the wall and put an ear to the door. He was thinking dark thoughts of his father and what he experienced while he was being 'trained'. "And Pop's idea of training? I wouldn't call it anything of the sort. He was stupid enough not to read the whole manual of the Neko Ken, and, because of his stupid mistake, I suffer the consequences. He's the one who said Jusenkyo was a good training ground for martial artsits, and I end up cursed to be a girl. He freeloads off people, and I usually pay for it."  
  
His mother gasped at hearing this. She could tell that he had lost plenty of respect for his father after everything that happened to him. As it was, Genma's wife also didn't like what she heard, and absently thought that the seppuku pledge would be too lenient for her husband. Neko Ken? That was something she hadn't heard the story to. And she only knew of Akane as his only fiancee.   
  
Her eyes hardened as she thought of what else her son had gone through he wasn't saying, or didn't know. There was only one source   
  
she knew would know all the answers.  
  
Out of habit, Nodoka brought out the katana and gripped the hilt, sliding the blade out while thinking of the 'talk' she would have with her   
  
husband.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Genma suddenly sneezed while stirring his tea. As he did, he put a little too much force into the stirring stick he was using and broke it. The fat martial artist looked at the stick.  
  
Sneezing and a bad omen, he thought. Hmmm...I don't know what's wrong, but this could be bad...  
  
-----------------------  
  
Still lost in his thoughts, Ranma didn't hear the sounds coming from the other side of the door. Feeling somewhat relaxed, yet still tense, he kept saying everything that came to mind.  
  
"I've had it with his stupid lines. 'Be willing to give your life to the art.' Yeah, I did, and it cost me my manlihood. 'A martial artist can turn anything into training.' Is that why you engaged me to all those girls, especially that uncute tomboy, Pop? Or was that your greed? 'Listen boy. I am grooming you to take over the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts.' Who said I wanted to? I might have been happy before you took me away from my mother. And I might have had other ideas too. 'Ranma, it's your destiny to get married and join the two houses together. You must honor the promise I made for you to wed one of Soun's daughters.' Gee, and I happen to have no say in who I wanted to marry. How considerate of you.  
  
Nodoka listened to this spiel with the a saint's patience, deciding to leave before her son caught on to the person listening to all of his problems. Despite all the problems her son had during the last ten years, it sounded like his main problem was his relationship with Akane. They had always been well-behaved when she had visited, and what she saw when the Satome family moved in, she had always behaved herself. But, by the sound of it, things between the two weren't going well.  
  
Opening the door and closing it silently, Ranma's mother slowly sheathed the blade before heading to the kitchen. She decided to avoid problems until she could get her husband alone, preferably in a place where they wouldn't be interupted until she was through with her questions.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Outside, Akane sneezed as she stood outside the front entrance to her house. The last few minutes had been quiet with Charlie content to follow behind her. She had asked a few questions about why he wanted to go to the dojo, but he had refused to talk about, saying only that he had to check something for himself. What it was he had to check was left unsaid, despite her asking about it. Sneezing again, she opened the doors and kicked off her shoes. Charlie came in behind her, respectively waiting at the door.  
  
"Kasumi, I'm home," she called.  
  
The eldest Tendo daughter came out of the kitchen and around the corner, greeting her sibling before noticing the person who followed her in. The man was very polite, properly greeting the eldest Tendo before asking to come into the house proper. Kasumi was surprized at the request, not many who were regular visitors to the house bothered with asking to come in; they were usually to busy chasing after someone to think of the informal asking, nevermind anything remotely formal. After he introduced himself, and was introduced to Kasumi, Akane led Charlie to her father.  
  
"Dad! Someone here to talk to you," Akane called.  
  
A person he assumed was her father came down the hallway and around the corner, followed by a panda walking on two legs. An older woman joined the small group from the way Kasumi had come, and another girl had come down the stairs, probably interested in the commotion near the front door. Noting everyone's reaction to the panda, Charlie admitted he was surprized at the the site as much as how everyone took it in stride.   
  
Things like walking pandas are an everyday occurance here?! Yeah, there was good reason why people clamped up about this dojo. If this was a regular occurance, what would it be like on an abnormal day?  
  
-----------------------  
  
Not completely finished this chapter. Wanted to add what I have so far, while I work on my other story.   
  
blue_scarf_fics@yahoo.com 


	5. Tempting Bait

Spirit Guradian

By D'Fused

Disclaimer: Something goes here. Something about Ranma 1/2 and characters and copyrights. You can fill in the blanks

Chapter 5  
Tempting Bait

* * *

Charlie watched the boy from across the table, using the excuse of sipping the tea he was offered to think things over. He sent an image of him and repressed the inclination to laugh as he got a returning emotion from her. Mild annoyance and interest, both much duller than what they were usually; for all her intentions of staying awake when he was, she had been dozing just now. 

What made this boy so hard to track, he thought. There was nothing that didn't seem so ordinary about Ranma. Then again, as he looked at the side of his vision, a panda sitting down and sipping on tea wasn't that ordinary either.

"So, Mr. Frepp," Nodoka started.

"Please, call me Charlie," their guest interupted.

"Charlie, she continued smoothly, "is there anything we can help you with? Akane said that you were looking into the odd happenings here."

"Yes, just the shear destruction of the surrounding areas when I came to this neighborhood is a fair indication that who and what I am looking for is here." He looked at each of the residents of the Tendo house before returning to Ranma's mother. "Am I guessing right in saying that the chaos surrounds one or two people here?"

"You could say that," Nabiki said, sarcasm rolling off her voice.

Looking to her, Charlie smiled inwardly, but asked the question he had the answer to anyway. "And who is that?"

"Ranma."

"Ranma."

Ranma, the sign tha panda held said.

"Ranma."

"Oh my, it would be Ramna, wouldn't it?"

"My son here."

The son in question just looked around as everyone said his name. "Hey, it's not like it's all my fault!"

Akane looked at him with a sense of amazement, but it her sister that responded first. "No, but things seem to happen whenever you are near, Ranma." She pulled out a notebook from a pocket as she said it, flipping through the pages. "Ryoga would never had anything to do with our family had you stayed away, as well as Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne, Ukyo, and quite a few others." She looked up and gave the martial artist a hard look. "Should I also tell about how much it costs people when you and someone else fight in the streets, nevermind the expenses we have in repairs, electricity and water bills?"

Charlie's eyebrow lifted in curiosity; if the last two were mention specifically, there must be a reason for it. His head turned to look at the panda again. He had done it three times already, trying to figure out why everyone in the household took such a thing in stride. Slowly, a dawning suspicion came to him, and before he could ask, Ranma answered it for him.

"I can't help it if I'm cursed. He's the one you should be talking to about it," he said, pointing to the panda, who suddenly whisked out a beach ball and started playing with it. The elder lady - Nodoka? - frowned at the panda briefly. Suddenly the panda was back sitting at the table, somehow meeker as he sat beside her.

"Wait a minute," Charlie said before anyone had time to reply to the young man. "Cursed? As in...Jusenkyo?" Gods, he privately thought, it would be ironic that a guardian canididate would be cursed.

Ranma nodded mutely even as the eldest girl, who had gone to the kitchen as a whistling sound was heard, came out with a kettle of hot water, pouring it over the panda. Charlie watched as the panda seemed to dissolve and turn into a man, pushing his glasses up as he sat cross-legged. "The training grounds of Jusenkyo. Me and Ranma traveled there to...." The rest was lost as he transformed back into a panda, cold water managing to hit only him and nothing and noone else. Said panda turned to the source of the water, namely Ranma holding an once-full bucket by the bottom and handle.

"He doesn't need to hear all of it, old man," he said loudly as he set the pail down. Kasumi came out from the kitchen and changed Ranma's father back with water from the same kettle before Charlie thought of changing him back himself. He stood up, his mouth open with a retort as he took one step towards his son. Whatever he was about to do or say was lost as his wife put a hand on his stomach, the other hand moving down under the table to her side as she shook her head. Charlie inwardly smiled as he mentally pictured several images of what just happened. Concern was the responding emotion, although there was a hint of amusement mixed in there as well. His attention was brought back to the people he was having tea with when Akane shook her head, then turned to him. "You know about Jusenkyo, Mr. Frepp?"

"Please, Ms. Tendo, call me Charlie. And yes, I know about it."

Nabiki bent forward over the table as her eyes grew intent on him. "How much do you know of it," she questioned, obviously wanting to know more.

"Oh, enough not to go close to it," he answered evasivly.

Her eyes narrowed at the response she got, understanding the reply for what it was, but couldn't follow-up as her father nodded at what he said. "So why do you have such an interest in Ranma," he asked, sipping his tea briefly. His oldest daughter came from the kitchen and sat down at the only space available, between her father and Ranma, while everyone waited for a reply.

"Actually," Charlie started, "It might not be Ranma. Who I am really looking for is someone who had a dream."

"Everyone dreams," Nabiki deadpanned. While tempted to reply, Charlie ignored her response.

"I might be wrong," he continued, "but I think someone in the neighborhood has had a specific dream a little while ago." he made eye contact with everyone around the table before addiing, "something to do about an Universal Gear."

Charlie mentally checked off people as he looked around the table at their reactions to what he said. Soun and Nodoka frowning immediately stroked them off his list. Genma trying to look like he knew about it almost made him grimace at the thought of someone lying to him about an experience like that. Nabiki's concerned frown gave him a slight pause before striking her off. Akane made him think. There was something in the way she suddenly widened her eyes that intrigued him. Thinking about it, he wasn't sure if she knew about the dream or not. Undecided, Charlie moved on to Ranma.

The pig-tailed boy in question seemed very quiet after he had started talking about the Gear. He was looking downward, not really meeting anyone's gaze. As Charlie was to ask him, Kasumi turned and saw Ranma's expression as well. "Ranma," she began, "Do you know something?"

Everyone's attention turned to Ranma as he just looked down, then slowly looked to Kasumi, the turned to meet everyone's eyes all but one awaited his response. The sole exception was Charlie, as he was already sending Ranma's image with the Universal Gear outlined around him, his mouth turned into a smile that slowly melted away.

"Yes, I have." His answer was quiet and subdued, answering more like how Kasumi would than anything, which surprised the people sitting around the table. Everyone soon relaxed as he jumped from the table to his feet. "Why me! Why does everything happen to...." Ranma's voice trailed off as he sensed something, looking around as he tried to pinpoint the location where the sensation came from.

He wasn't the only one. Charlie was instantly on his feet, head turning left and right before running out into the backyard. His rapier, before sheathed and covered in a cloth, was in his hands as he studied the surrounding area intently. Ranma, after a brief shock of the feeling he had, also jumped beside their visitor, intent on fighting any and all challengers who opposed him. The two families inside didn't blink at his reaction, instead content to turn where they sat to look out and watch the action.

Slowly, a dark shaped seperated itself from the shadow of the tree it had been hiding by for the last few seconds. Gelatinous in shape, it moved forward as it was almost rolling, a mass of ooze lifting itself up from the back, then over itself as it moved forward.

Towards Ranma.

"Get into the house! Now!" Charlie yelled as he stepped sideways, putting himself between Ranma and the ooze. The thing quivered as it stopped, seemingly realising what was happening. Changing direction, the blob increased its pace as it tried to get around the obstacle in its way, planninng to attack its next victim by hiding under the house and attack when and where it would be least expected.

Charlie wasn't fooled for a second at the danger it posed to Ranma right now. He turned so he was parralel to the house, his rapier extended down to the grass as he concentrated innerly and on his sword at the same time.

What Ranma saw next was a new experience. There was no preemptive warning what would happen; no style or attack name called as it happened, no bending of the ki lines around the dojo to make it happen. One second Charlie had the weapon in his hands pointing to the earth, then the next, it was upwards. Nothing changed, but the ooze...stopped, refusing to go past a certain point near the house. It moved a little to the left and right along that invisible line, but it still kept away from the building.

The shock of being told not to fight something for once had finally wore off, and, not listening to what he was told to do, simply moved aways to the side of the visitor as he watched the blob intently.

"No!" The word was ripped from Charlie as he realised who else was in the yard. The blob stopped and turned as well, then dashed across the ground towards the teen. Ranma wondered what was so scary about a glump of goo like that. He could shred the thing with the speed of his hands and it wouldn't know what hit it. With all intent to do so, he stepped forward to meet the thing that was coming towards him.

For Charlie, those seconds when his newly found charge insisted of helping were the longest. Ranma had no idea how deep he was trying to swim when he had barely gotten wet. Almost as if he could see everything happen in slow motion, he saw Ranma dash right towards the enemy with no thought of why it was intent on him. His hand holding the rapier was dropping so he put a wall between it and the boy before he was lost to him, but his arm was coming down too slow. It wouldn't be in time, he suddenly percieved with a clarity that had had to come from Brita. He had to stop them from getting too close another way. He held his left hand out and pointed a finger half-way between the Lure and the candidate, then concentrated on what he needed..

Lightning hit the turf two steps in front of Ranma, causing the boy to jump almost straight up and back to avoid being hit by the turf flying into the sky. Everything reverted back to normal speed as his sword touched the ground mere microseconds after the ooze crossed the blackened circle Charlie had made to keep the two apart. His hand came straight up as he drew on his bond and sent the spiritual energy through his sword as it touched the earth. Whipping the sword up, he focused the spiritual energy with enough force to send it running along the ground, straight towards the Lure.

Everyone looked at amazement as their guest refused to let Ranma get involved with the fight, oblivious to any idea that there might be a good reason for it. Akane was the first to her feet, a scowl on her face as she moved to the entrance to the backyard. Genma followed after his wife gave him a look that said he'd better get up and help as well. When Ranma landed on the edge of the screen doorway, the two were on either side of the martial artist, with a reluctant Soun following to stand beside his long-time friend. Nabiki was sitting down, knowing that it was better to stay where she sat than trying to join the group outside. Nodoka had the same idea thereabouts, although she was wanting to get up and help her son if she knew she wasn't just going to be in the way. Of all of them, it was Kasumi that seemed to have little worry about how things were going, confident Ranma will know the right thing to do in the end.

For those who knew Ranma well, they could always tell when he took an opponent serious. The set of jaw, the look of concentration on his face, his fighting stance, his tone of voice and other, miniscule differences that changed him from an egotistical teenager to a martial artist prodigy. All of those little changes were evident in Ranma right now as he faced against the man who kept him away from fighting. The part of him that would be usually concentrating on the new opponents at the moment seemed to be...numb...as he tried to understand what was going on. By all reasoning, he should be angry or frustrated at Charlie, but, even as he was about to yell at him, something told him the man outside was protecting him from the creature. Finally, his mind seemed to shake the numbness away as a feeling of helplessness came over him, forced to watch the fight instead of being in it personally. Anger at being a spectator came as he watched the glob turn one direction, only to stop as Charlie brought his weapon down, then flick it upwards across the path where it would have gone. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, jumping onto the ground, an equal distance away from both stranger and monster.

"Ranma, what are you doing?" Ranma watched as Charlie's head whipped about to look at him, only to whip back as the glob turned away from the direction it was going to face the pig-tailed martial artist. He saw the sword-wielding stranger point two fingers towards him, somehow calling upon lightining to strike where he was standing even as his sword came down then straight up again, making the thing he was squaring off against stop where it was. Jumping into the air, Ranma did a seemingly lazy backflip, landing on the wall surounding the Tendo residence. Slowly he gathered his ki together, knowing he could beat this small thing. He ignored the nagging voice inside of him, knowing that listening to it would make him doubt, and he couldn't afford to doubt at that moment.

"I've never seen Ranma fight defensively before like this," Soun remarked, watching as a second scorch mark appeared on his lawn. Back at the table, Nabiki nodded her agreement as she jotted something down in the notebook from before.

"Ranma never runs from a fight," Akane disagreed as her head swiveled between the man she had met today and the martial artist standing on the wall.

"The boy has something planned," Genma added, knowing his son too well to know there had been a purpose to jumping onto the wall.

Charlie muttered a curse under his breath as he tried to pay attention to both the candidate and the creature Instability sent. There was no doubt who the Lure was going for, especially after it had tried for Ranma twice while being here. The boy seemed to know it was after him, but didn't understand why he couldn't beat it. Mentally he sighed; he couldn't blame anyone but himself, since he hadn't said anything about it, especailly with the boy's parents and the other family nearby. He watched as his last spirit wall dissapate, allowing the monster to move towards his target again. Bringing down his rapier, he set up his line of sight so the wall would be a few feet in front of where it was currently, trying to buy the time he desperatly needed to explain things. Just before he released the wave, he noticed a slight change in the monster's direction. Rather than going towards Ranma, the Lure moved away from him, which threw Charlie off until he understood exactly what was happening.

'Of course,' he thought. 'It must be weakening.' Judging the angle it is traveling, ah.' Charlie side-stepped left to make the next wall come between the Lure and the shadow of the tree. Something in the bond made him wait a second before releasing the wall, something he had long ago learned to heed. Sure enough, the Lure changed directions, not going towards the tree, but for the shadows below the house. Charlie grinned as he turned on the ball of his foot, turning to stop the monster from getting anywhere near the house as he created a wall along the edge of the house, timing it perfectly to defeat with the safety of the shadows out of it reach. It would only be seconds before it was dead after that, not enough time to change directions to the next nearest shadow. And without anywhere to go -

It would have nothing to lose in an all-or-nothing charge at Ranma.

Charlie saw immediately where he erred. He had assumed the first feint was the only feint this thing would do, especially with it running out of time, thus forgetting its true objective was still out there, unprotected. Running towards the wall, Charlie made a quick evaluation of the location of Ranma and the Lure to himself. Even with the monster slowing down, it would reach his charge before he would reach either of them. Then he looked at Ranma again, frightened at what he might be doing, his hands cupped outward from his body. Instictively he knew Ranma was trying a ki attack against the Lure.

In hindsight, what he did next was something he would have done differently. Rather than call upon the electric or heat currents in his body and form them into something for Ranma to dodge, Charlie shifted his grip on his rapier, holding it over his shoulder even as he moved across the yard. Using his best javelin-toss, he threw the sword through the air, hoping it would be enough of a distraction for his target to lose his concentration.

Indifferently, Ranma jumped sideways, avoiding the weapon as it sailed over and down the other side of the wall. He drew on his confidence to make the ki-ball bigger, wanting to make sure the thing would die. He still ignored the part of him that doubted the idea was a good one, even though it was being insistent to be heard.

Akane chanced to look at Charlie and the expression on his face as Ranma readied to attack the thing. Her confidence in her fiancee's tactic waned as she started to think there was more to the situation than what meets the eye and that Charlie knew what they didn't. Inside, as everyone's eyes were on Ranma, Kasumi's usually sunny disposition turned to a small frown, almost as if she found a stain that refused to be wiped clean.

The ball of ki in Ranma's hands melted away as all confidence inside turned to doubt. Watching the thing coming to him, he reeled at the sensation, slowly moving away from it as he ran along the wall and jumped neatly onto the patio, feeling goosebumps as he landed. Slowly, he turned around as whatever the creature was outside tried to turn towards him, then seemed to flop onto the ground, a sill pool of shadow blackness with no source whatsoever. Idly, he noticed it didn't have a shadow, even though it rested in the middle of the backyard, with the afternoon sun overhead.

The spirit guradian sighed with relief as he saw the Lure in its death throes. Turning to the martial artist, Charlie took two steps before stopping as he saw everyone's attention turn to him. Nabiki and Nodoka had stood up and joined their respective father and husband at some point when he wasn't looking, and the group looked at him with expressions ranging between distrust to hatred.

"Why," Ranma was the first to ask, everyone silently knowing that he had the most right to ask the question. "Why did you attack me? I could have taken that thing easily."

Charlie let the breath he had been unconsciously holding out. That had been the last thing he had been worried about. "I'm glad you said that staement the way you did," he said, indicating to where the ooze was. Even as he spoke, it was dissolving, literally melting away in an audiable sizzle. "What we just saw is called a Lure. It's sole purpose is to seek out a potential guardian, attack it, and purposely die."

"Purposely die?" Some of the edge in Ranma's voice went away as he tried to contemplate that. "You mean it was bait?"

"Yes. It's meant to be defeated, to give the unsuspecting candidate a sense of over-confidence, making them easy prey for whatever comes for them next. The only thing it needs to do is touch them, or, in your case, touch a ki blast, which it would backtrack to the person. Once it touches, the person would be poisoned, with a seductive sensation so sweet it is impossible to shrug off. Thus why we call it a Lure." Charlie stepped onto the wooden flooring as the tension slowly lessened. "Mind if I have some tea while I tell you everything? It's easier to talk around a table instead of on our feet, and I have a feeling we have a bit to discuss."

* * *

I haven't fogotten about this story, but with a few other ideas going through my head, it's sometimes hard to work on the ones you want to the most. I had most of this mentally figured out for a while, just needing to type it down when I had a chance. Sigh. So many ideas, so little time. 


End file.
